Mr and Mrs Rennie, from Perth were described as "very nice people" who only spent the weekends together due to work commitments.

Neighbour Linda Kettles said: "They were very, very nice people who kept themselves to themselves.

"They've gone on holiday to enjoy themselves. They only get the weekends together and any break together is good for them.

"They were really looking forward to getting away.

"I'm totally devastated by the news. I really feel for their families."

The couple moved from Dundee to Perth about 10 years ago and although they had been together for a "long time" they were married only recently, Ms Kettles said.

Yvonne and Michael Rennie from Perth

Mrs Rennie joined the radiology department of Perth Royal Infirmary as an appointments officer in June 2006, having worked at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, latterly as a senior administrative officer.

NHS Tayside clinical services manager of the diagnostics group, Tejinder Chima, said: "Yvonne's untimely death has left all the staff at Perth Royal Infirmary and throughout NHS Tayside deeply saddened at the loss of a very dear colleague and friend. Yvonne will be greatly missed by all.

"She was a highly valued member of the radiology department team, providing excellent service in helping to deliver patient care."

Radiology manager Douglas Mitchell said: "We are in shock at the sudden and tragic loss of Yvonne. She was a much-loved colleague who enjoyed her job and her tragic passing has had a huge impact on all of us who knew and worked with her. She will be sadly missed."

Perth & North Perthshire SNP MP Pete Wishart said: "I have been in close contact with the Foreign Office about this awful incident and have been receiving updates as more information has become available.

"I understand that a couple from my constituency are involved, that one is dead and the other injured and in hospital.

"My thoughts are with their family at this very difficult time."

Offering his sympathies First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This is a terrible tragedy and my thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of those involved.

"The Scottish Government has been in contact with the Foreign Office who are providing support in Egypt and we stand ready to provide any assistance if necessary."

Neighbours today expressed their shock at the deaths of Mr Bampton and Ms Gyetvai.

The couple worked as antiques dealers and had lived at their home in Clapham for two to three years, Ms Robertson said.

Neighbour Bernard Gentry, 53, said: "They were a pleasant couple. I used to speak to them in the garden with their dog.

"I'm shocked they could die in such tragic circumstances on holiday."

The four Britons involved were on holiday in Luxor with tour operator Thomas Cook.

The other tourists, including holidaymakers from France, Hong Kong and Japan, were all thought to have died in the explosion. Authorities in Luxor, where there have been previous balloon crashes, have suspended all balloon flights and an investigation is under way.

AP Photo/Ibrahim Zayed

Rescue workers look through the debris from the crash.

The four Britons were believed to have been among nine people who had jumped from the balloon.

Thomas Cook UK and Europe chief executive Peter Fankhauser said: "What happened in Luxor this morning is a terrible tragedy and the thoughts of everyone in Thomas Cook are with our guests, their family and friends."

He said the company had a very experienced team in Luxor and that full support was being provided to the family and friends of those who had died.

Thomas Cook said it was working with local officials and a full investigation would be taking taking place.

Harrowing pictures emerged of the wreckage earlier in the day, which showed the dead in body bags at the scene of the crash.

Cherry Tohamy, an Egyptian living in Kuwait who was on holiday in Luxor, was in another balloon which was landing when she heard an explosion and saw flames from a balloon above.

She told the BBC: "Our pilot told us that the balloon had hit a high-pressure electrical cable and a cylinder on board exploded.

"People were jumping out of the balloon from about the height of a seven-storey building."

She said ambulances were at the scene within 15 minutes.

REUTERS/Stringer

The body of one of the balloon crash victims is taken from the scene.

Hot air balloon trips usually take place at sunrise over the Karnak and Luxor temples as well as the Valley of the Kings.

Sixteen people were hurt, including two British women, when a balloon crashed during a tour of Luxor in April 2009.

The balloon was believed to have hit a mobile phone transmission tower near the banks of the Nile.

Following the 2009 crash, early-morning hot air balloon flights over the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of the Nile were suspended for six months while safety measures were tightened up.

During the break, all 42 pilots from the eight companies who operate flights had extra training.

Other initiatives to improve safety brought in included confining all take-offs to a new balloon "airport" and limiting the maximum number of balloons up at the same time to eight. Previously as many as 50 could share the air space.

Michael Marlow, from Blairgowrie, said yesterday's tragedy brought back memories of a hot air balloon flight he took over the Valley of the Kings a few years ago.

Mr Marlow said the balloon he was in caught fire as its operator tried to avoid power lines.

He told BBC Radio Scotland that when he heard about the accident in Luxor, "I thought 'There but for the grace of God, that could have happened to us'."

Speaking on the Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: "We went to Luxor and we had an early-morning flight. The balloon flight should have taken us over the Valley of the Kings but, due to the wind direction, it took us in another direction.

"We started to head towards some power lines and whether the operator didn't see them or not we don't know, but what happened was he started frantically to get the balloon above the power lines, and in doing so he set the balloon on fire."

He added: "I was looking down at the time, but suddenly my neck felt rather warm, and I said to the gentleman next to me and he looked up and said 'No wonder - the balloon is on fire'.

"Suddenly all this hot debris came falling down on us and we dropped down into the basket and he put his coat over us and we just sat down right in the bottom of the basket.

"In a matter of minutes really, I can't say how long it took, the balloon started to come down very fast and all I can remember is we had this heavy thud on the ground and we landed in this field.

"When we stopped no-one spoke. Everyone was shook up and in shock."

Mr Marlow said he was not injured but his wife was "very badly bruised" and another man in the balloon hurt his ankle, leaving him struggling to walk,

He recalled: "There was quite a lot of people badly bruised, there was no real bad injuries, hospital injuries, but there was a lot of people shocked and badly bruised."

Previous Articles

YVONNE RENNIE, 48, and her husband Michael leapt hundreds of feet to escape the flames after the balloon exploded in Luxor. Miraculously, Michael survived the plunge into cornfields below, along with the pilot.